1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to packaging materials for packaging articles, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a packaging material having a plurality of individual strips, strands, or units of material bondably connected to a flexible substrate to form a cohesive cushioning unit. In one aspect, the present invention relates to a flexible, inflatable substrate having a plurality of individual strips, strands, or units of decorative material bondably connected to the flexible, inflatable substrate to form a cohesive cushioning unit.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
In the process of shipping an article from one location to another, the article is typically placed in a container along with a protective packaging material to fill the voids about the article and to cushion the article during the shipping process. One common protective packaging material includes a plurality of plastic foam, peanut-shaped members which are commonly known as “Styrofoam peanuts.” An advantage in using Styrofoam peanuts is the ease with which they may be disposed about an article positioned in a container by simply pouring the Styrofoam peanuts from a dispenser.
While Styrofoam peanuts have been widely accepted in the packaging industry, they are not without disadvantages. For example, their light weight and flowability results in heavier objects gravitating through the peanuts to the bottom of the container where the heavier objects can be damaged. Also, while the flowability of the Styrofoam peanuts facilitates the introduction of the peanuts into a container, the receiver of the package is left with having to deal with cleaning up the mess left by the peanuts which are easily scattered upon removal of the article from the container.
These and other disadvantages associated with the disposal of Styrofoam peanuts, have made paper protective packaging material a popular alternative. Paper is biodegradable, recyclable, and renewable therefore making it an environmentally responsible choice. However, like Styrofoam peanuts, paper packaging materials are not without disadvantages. Paper, particularly shredded paper, can be inconvenient to clean up and to dispose of due to the lack of cohesiveness of the packaging material. Due to the lack of resiliency in paper products, large amounts of paper are typically required to provide the bulk needed to adequately cushion an object.
Strips of sheet material formed into tufts have also been used for many years as a packaging material. More specifically, material known as decorative grass has been used in fruit baskets, Easter baskets, picnic baskets, and for other packaging and decorative purposes. The decorative grass of the prior art has been produced by numerous methods and from a variety of materials such as polymeric materials, paper, cellophane or the like. Typically, such materials are cut and shredded to produce segments having predetermined dimensions. As such, decorative grass, like Styrofoam peanuts and paper materials described above, can be inconvenient to clean up. Furthermore, the decorative grass can compress and lose its cushioning ability. Large amounts of decorative grass are necessary, therefore, in order to overcome such compression and/or compaction deficiencies.
To this end, a packaging material is needed that includes or mimics a plurality of resilient individual strips, strands, or units of material intertwined with one another or other organic or inorganic materials that may be bondably connected to a flexible substrate or substratum so as to form a unitary cushioning unit which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of prior art packaging materials and has the added benefit of providing a decorative border. It is to such a packaging material that the present invention is directed.